Copper Falls State Park (WI) · Wisconsin
One backpack site. A single site means the facility is either open or gone: there is no second chance on a given night.
Get an alert when Copper Falls opens on your dates.
Source: dnr.wisconsin.gov
70% of the openings our scanner caught on Copper Falls were gone within 10 minutes.
As of September 2026, Copper Falls in Copper Falls State Park (WI), Wisconsin requires a permit issued via reservation. Copper Falls is a high-demand permit, rating 8/10 on PermitSnag's demand index. Cancelled Copper Falls permits are re-released on the booking system, and PermitSnag alerts you the moment one opens. The Copper Falls route covers 2 miles.
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More on Copper Falls: Live availability activityWhen Copper Falls permits open up
The heart of the park, on the 1.7-mile Doughboys Nature Trail. DNR calls it "one of the best hikes in Wisconsin." Pets are not allowed on it.
Crossed by a historic CCC bridge on the 0.5-mile universal trail.
A 1-mile spur to a 65-foot tower. DNR: "Views from atop the tower include Lake Superior, the Apostle Islands and the surrounding Penokee Range."
Passes through the entire length of the park, more than four miles, and the backpack site is on it.
2.5-mile trail in the southern part of the park, from Loon Lake to the falls on the Bad River.
One site, two miles in, on the Bad River above the sandstone ledges.
Wisconsin DNR: "Ancient lava flows, deep gorges and spectacular waterfalls make Copper Falls State Park one of Wisconsin's most scenic parks. Log buildings built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s add to the park's charm. The park offers camping, hiking, bicycling, picnicking, fishing and swimming opportunities in Loon Lake. The 1.7-mile Doughboy's Nature Trail, along the Bad River, is one of the best hikes in Wisconsin." (dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/copperfalls, read 2026-08-09.)
Park in the small lot off the maintenance/disabled access road, before the road turns to gravel. There is a post marking it, and DNR is explicit that backpack campers may not use the main picnic-area lot. From there the walk is about two miles: down the gravel road, then following the brown signs to the site. It finishes on the bank of the Bad River, above the sandstone ledges. Carry your water; the site has none.
A single campsite means the booking behaves differently from everything else in the Wisconsin system: there is no partial availability. Any night it is taken, the facility is sold out. It also sits on the North Country National Scenic Trail, a footpath DNR describes as running "from Vermont to North Dakota", so this is a thru-hiker's night as much as a weekender's.
Copper Falls is a gorge park: ancient lava flows, water cutting down through them, and CCC log buildings from the 1930s at the top. The campsite is far enough down the trail that the day-use noise is gone, and DNR is blunt that your phone will not work.
Best for: Hikers of moderate fitness willing to put in the effort.
Recommended experience: Basic hiking experience. Start with shorter trails if new to hiking.
Trailhead information
A small lot off the maintenance/disabled access road, marked with a post. The two-mile walk to the site starts here.
DNR: "Backpack campers must park here, not in the main picnic area." The lot is before the point where the road turns to gravel.
Mellen, about two miles southwest. Firewood is sold at the woodshed near the park entrance.
The park is open year-round, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and the site is bookable through it. Park water and showers run Memorial Day weekend to Oct. 1, depending on the weather, so outside that window everything you drink comes off your back. Winter closes part of the Doughboys Trail for ice.
Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Copper Falls.
Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.
Gear Checklist: Required and recommended gear for Copper Falls · Shuttle Services: Trailhead transportation options · Guide Services: Experienced wilderness guides
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PermitSnag alerts you the moment a Copper Falls cancellation opens, so you can book it before anyone else. Copper Falls permits use a reservation system.
Season dates are on the agency's page. Weekdays have better availability than weekends.
This permit has a demand score of 8/10, making it highly competitive. We recommend having backup dates and using PermitSnag's cancellation alerts.
Cancellations happen daily. Set up alerts with PermitSnag to get notified the moment a spot opens up. Pro and $19 single-permit alerts are checked about every minute, 24/7; free accounts are checked hourly.
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Three sites 1.6 miles in, below Wisconsin's highest waterfall, on the way to Superior.
Three sites instead of one, and vault toilets instead of a latrine, but you still carry all your water.
Three outpost sites on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, two of them within half a mile of the interpretive centre.
A much shorter walk in, and three chances instead of one on any given night.
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